Game apparatus



(No MqdeL),

J. G. KIAH.

GAME APPARATUS. No. 575,247. Patented Jan. 12, 1897.

WITNESSES; llVVE/VTOI? ATTORNEYS.

JEROME GODFREY KIAH, OF SAND BEACH, MICHIGAN.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 575,247, dated January 12, 1897, Application filed April 2,1896. Serial No. 585,872. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JEROME GODFREY KIAH, of Sand Beach, in the county of Huron and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in game apparatus, particularly to an apparatus for a parlor game of base-ball, and the object of the invention is to provide a game apparatus of the character above described, by means of which the various plays made upon a regular field may be attempted and in a great measure carried out or reproduced.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for a parlor game of baseball which will be of exceedingly simple and economicconstruction and which will likewise afford considerable amusement to the players.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several .parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth,

and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved game apparatus. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section through the same, and Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the incline constituting the pitchers box.

In carrying out the invention a board or table A represents the field, and the said board or table is provided with a marginal flange of any desired height. Upon the aforesaid board or field a series of cagesis produced, each cage facing the home plate 11, which may be a separate piece introduced into the board A or a spot especially designated by color or otherwise. The cages are usually made of wire,and are of substantially segmental form, comprising an upper horizontal arched section 12 and shanks 18, which are carried from the terminals of the arched section downward, being secured to the board or field A in any suitable or approved manner. These cages are arranged to indicate the position of the various players on a ball-ground, as, for example, the cages are so placed as to represent the first baseman 14, the second baseman 15, the third baseman 16, the short stop 17, the right fielder 18, the left fielder19, and the center fielder 20.

The pitchers box B is best shown in Fig. 8, and consists of an inclined plane preferably made from Wire or a like material, and the said inclined plane comprises two parallel members 22, which at their upper or connected ends are shaped into an upwardly-extending bow 23, the bow portion of the inclined plane being supported by suitable standards 24, made usually of the same material, and a curved bottom is also preferably made for the upper or bow section of the aforesaid inclined plane. The inclined plane is placed upon the field A between the first and third bases in the position usually occupied by the pitchers box, and the lower ends of the inclined plane face the home plate 11.

The pitchers box is laterally adjustable, and the adjustment is accomplished by attaching to the members of the inclined plane constitutingthe said box a horizontal bracket 26, which bracket at its forward end is pivoted by means of a pin 27 on the board or field A. The bracket 26 extends rearward from its pivot-point over a segmental slot 28, made in the board A, and a pin 29 is passed through the bracket 26 and through the slot 28 in the said board or field to the bottom of the latter and is attached to a rod 30, which is carried, preferably, in direction of the lefthand side of the board or field and beyond the same, so that an operator by drawing out or pushing inwardly the rod 30 may change the position of the pitchers box, causing it to stand diagonally of the field or board A or parallel with its sides, as may be preferred. Any desired number of pockets 31 is produced in the board or field A, the said pockets being in the nature of concavities or recesses, and the said pockets are preferably divided into classes, each class being differently colored. Ordinarily four colors are employed to represent the different valuations of the hits that may be made by a player.

The striker is represented by a casing 32, which may be given any desired cross-sectional contour and is open at the end facing the pitchers incline. This casing is pivoted at its outer end by means of a pin 33 or its equivalent, the pin entering the board A, so that the casing may be swung to the right or to the left, as the player may desire. A spring-controlled plunger 34 is located in the aforesaid casing, and the said plunger is provided upon its upper surface with notches or recesses 35, adapted to receive a gravity or a spring-controlled pawl 36, pivoted upon the top of the casing and extending within the same through a suitable opening, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Objects 37, representingplayers, are placed at the rear of each base, and these objects are movable over the board or field.

In playing the game a ball or a marble 38 is employed, and the said ball or marble is adapted to be normally placed upon the upper portion of the pitchers incline, the members 22 whereof are slightly recessed to prevent the ball from rolling down the said members, yet the said recesses are not sufficiently deep to prevent the ball from being dislodged when the aforesaid incline is agitated.

The game is played by two persons representin g the pitcher and the striker, who may, if desired, select an umpire. The person who represents the outside nine will place the ball 38 in the upper portion of the pitchers incline, and will give the incline a slight shake by moving the rod 30 to a greater or less extent, thereby dislodging the ball, which will roll down the incline, and bylaterally moving the incline the pitcher may cause the ball to roll to the right or to the left from the center of the home plate or directly over the said plate, as desired. The person representing the inside nine should be ready to point and release the striker-plunger at the proper time, so as to hit and send the ball out in the field. The plunger is first pressed inward, placing its spring under tension, and is held in its inner position by the pawl 36. Therefore the striker may quickly. move the plunger in a direction which the striker may calculate, sothat the plunger will meet and strike the ball, and when the proper position of the plunger is obtained by pressing downward on the pawl 36 the plunger is released, and upon striking the ball will force it over the field.

If the ball. propelled by the plunger lodges, for example, in a pocket of a brown-color or in the pitchers pocket or on the surface of the board behind one of the fielders the striker is out. Should the ball lodge in a red pocket or should a fairly-struck ball roll outside of the foul line, represented by partitions 38, the striker is entitled to one base, and all the baserunners the same. hen the ballis so struck that it lodges, for example, in a blue-colored pocket, the base-runners are entitled to two bases, and if aball lodges in ayellow-colored pocket it will entitle the base-runner to three bases and the other base-runners the same. When the ball is so struck that it lodges in a white pocket, the base-runner will be entitled to a home-run.

The striker is out on failure to hit the third fair ball. A base-runner is out if struck by a ball. When the ball is so struck as to be sent to the first pockets from the batter, it is a fairstruck ball, and when traveling less than that distance it will count as a strike. A foul ball is one struck so that it will land at either side of the board outside of the foul-lines or partitions 38. A strike will be a ball sent over the home plate which the striker fails to hit, or so slightly that he fails to send it to a line of pockets or to the foul-line; and a strike will also count when the striker aims at other than a fair ball. A fair ball is one sent from the pitcher so that it rolls over any portion of the home plate.

The game will consist of nine innings on each side, and the one making the larger number of runs will win the game. The board should be set upon the table so that it will be nearly level from right to left and with the home end about half an inch the lower. Either side forfeits the game should the person's representing the sides intentionally shake the board so to stop the ball from going into a pocket or help it make a pocket.

The invention possesses nearly all of the features of the national game and is very interesting, more especially so to those who take an interest in base-ball. The head of the pitchers incline is about three-fourths of an inch from the board, and its lower end merges into the board, so as to offer no obstruction to the progress of the ball.

iVhen a fair ball is struck, so as to entitle the striker to one or more bases, small figures may be placed upon such bases, said figures being moved as other base-hits are made, as hereinbefore mentioned.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a game apparatus a board representing a field, cages located on the board, representing the position of players in a base-ball game, a pivoted incline representing the pitchers box and adapted to receive a rolling object, a rod connected with the incline for laterally moving the same, and a device located in front of the incline and adapted to strike the object delivered from the incline, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A game apparatus comprising a board representing a field, the board being provided with a number of pockets, cages secured to the board, in position corresponding to the position of players in a base-ball game, an incline representin thepitehers box and adapted to receive a rolling object, means for laterally moving the incline, and a pivoted plunger located in position to receive the object from the incline, as and for the purpose specified.

3. A game apparatus consisting of aboard representing a base-ball field, the said board being provided with pockets at the in and out field portions thereof, cages secured to the said board, placed to represent the position of the players in a base-ball game, an inclined plane representing a pitchers box pivoted to the said board and adapted to receive a rolling object, a shifting device connected with the inclined plane, and a spring-controlled plunger placed adjacent to the representation of a home plate, the said plunger representing the batter, as and for the purpose specified.

4. A game apparatus, consisting of a board representing a field, cages located on the board representing the position of players in a base-ball game, an incline representing the pitchers box and adapted to receive a rolling object, a plunger located in front-of said incline and representingabatter, and a shifting device for said incline, comprising a bracket connected to the said incline and pivoted to the board, a pin connected With the said bracket and extending through a slot in said board, and a rod connected With the said pin and extending beyond one side of the board or field, as and for the purpose set forth.

JEROME GODFREY KIAl-l.

Witnesses:

MATTHEW D. WAGNER, DARIUS MIHLETHALER. 

